If you haven't done so already, it's time to get those hummingbird feeders out, clean them, fill them with fresh sugar water and hang them where the incredible green iridescent flying jewels will find them.

The ruby-throat hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds and nests in South Carolina. They arrive around March 17 from who knows where to spend the summer rearing another brood with us and then disappear around Oct. 15. Research is showing there is a good possibility that our birds are flying to Texas and then flying to Central America -- but where?

There are two things needed to attract hummingbirds to your yard: bright red flowers and tube-shaped flowers that are brightly colored. Feeders are just supplemental. Hummingbirds do not rely on the feeders for survival. They use them more for convenience.

* Recipe for artificial hummingbird nectar

Draw 5 cups of water from a cold water tap. Pour it into a large pot (try not to use aluminum).

Heat the water to almost a boil, measure out 4 cups, and add 1 cup table sugar. Do not use honey, artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved.

Cover the pan, place it on the stove, and bring the sugar-water mixture to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Be careful not to let the water evaporate. If you do, the mix can become too concentrated.

Let the mix cool, and pour it into well-cleaned feeders.

* Do's and don'ts

Early in the season, red food coloring may be added (let the nectar cool first), but it is unnecessary, especially after birds have found the feeders. Food coloring in the grocery stores is not harmful to humans or hummingbirds. Do not, however, use Kool-Aid or other drink mixes they may contain harmful chemicals.

Store any excess mixture in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and check for mold or fermentation if left longer than two weeks. Let it warm to room temperature before filling the feeders. Clean and refill feeders twice a week in hot weather. A solution of chlorine bleach can be used once a month to kill mold, but rinse all feeder parts completely after bleaching. Bleach is better than detergent.

Research has shown that hummingbirds know where food sources are within a mile in all directions. Therefore, if you go on vacation, your hummingbirds will not starve, but they may have to travel a little further for a quick snack.

Do not use pesticides to keep insects away from the feeders. Remember -- pesticides are poisons. They will kill insects and hummingbirds. Hummingbirds eat small insects (fruit flies are a favorite) and spiders. Bees and wasps are pollinators, too. A jar lid filled with sugar water in the sun may help keep them from the feeders.

Place the hummingbird feeders in the shade. This keeps the liquid from getting hot. If you are hanging more than one feeder, hang them out of sight of each other. Male hummingbirds are territorial and will spend much of their time and energy fighting off other males from their food source. Put the feeders where you can enjoy watching the birds. If you are caring for someone confined to the house, place a feeder outside a window where they can enjoy the birds, too.

Ruby-throat hummingbirds breed and nest here. How large is the nest? Make a model of a nest by finding a walnut shell half, then line with dandelion fluff, thistle down, etc., and add two peas.

* Watch for the blue

Very important: If you see a hummingbird this spring with blue coloring on its neck, it may be a marking letting you know that a certified hummingbird banner has caught the bird recently. Bill Hilton has returned from Costa Rica, where he marked ruby throats he caught with blue food coloring on their necks. Report your sighting to Hilton at 803-684-5852 in York at Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History. You can also e-mail him at info@rubythroat.org.

If you are interested in learning more about hummingbirds, check out www.rubythroat.org. Another site that has weekly information about wildlife is www.hiltonpond.org. Any hummingbirds seen between Oct. 15 and March 15 should be reported to Hilton. You can increase your chance of seeing a vagrant hummingbird by keeping a feeder up all winter.

Visit www.rubythroat.org to learn more about Hilton's recent trip to Costa Rica in late January and early February to study the ruby throat in its winter habitat. Where will these birds travel in the spring? Will one turn up in your back yard? We'll just have to wait and see. Happy bird watching!

Dianne Curlee is education coordinator for the Orangeburg County Conservation District.

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